DEMOREST, Ga. - The East Division Champion NC Wesleyan College Softball team rolled to a 3-0 win behind the pitching of senior Beth Braswell to defeat West Division Champion Piedmont College on Saturday in the first game of the USA South Conference Championship series. Piedmont Then came back to shut out the Bishops in game two 2-0 to force a deciding game three of the Championship series on Sunday at 1 PM.

Game one:

Braswell, just as she did last weekend against Pfeiffer, pitched all 7 innings allowing only 3 hits and no runs with zero walks and six strikeouts, improving to 17-5 on the year.

A scoreless game was broken open by the Bishops in the 4th inning as a bases-loaded walk from Meredith Booth brought home Braswell, who had doubled, with the first run before a single up the middle by senior CF Nichole Mooney then scored RF Alexis Wynne. Wesleyan then added a final run in the 4th as Logan Winstead reached via an error by the Lady Lion pitcher as senior 1B Bryona Knight scored the third and final run.

Braswell then did the rest from there carrying a no-hitter into the 5th inning before closing the Lions (20-11) out with an easy 1-2-3 seventh inning for the win.

Braswell also led the team in hitting going 3 for 4 with two doubles while Mooney also recorded two hits. 

Game Two:

PC (21-11) then used their Pitcher of the Year, Martina Maloch, to hold the Bishops to just one hit in game two while senior starter Grace Preston held the Lions scoreless over the first four innings before allowing a hit by pitch, RBI single, and an RBI triple in the 5th.

Preston threw five innings allowing 2 runs on 3 hits with one strikeout while Braswell pitched the final two innings perfectly striking out three.

Mooney registered the lone hit in game two for Wesleyan (20-16), but was caught stealing when she reached base.

The foes will play a 1:00 championship game on Sunday in Piedmont.